Players from India and Australia wore black armbands during their ICC Women’s World Cup semifinal clash on Thursday to pay tribute to 17-year-old Australian cricketer Ben Austin, who tragically passed away after being struck by a ball during a training session in Melbourne earlier this week.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the gesture before the start of the match, stating, “Both teams are wearing black armbands today to pay their respects to 17-year-old Melbourne cricketer Ben Austin, who sadly passed away following an accident while batting in the nets on Tuesday night.”
Austin, a promising young player from Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, was hit in the neck while batting in the nets ahead of a T20 club fixture. Despite wearing a helmet, he was not using a neck guard. He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and placed on a ventilator, but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.
{{/usCountry}}Austin, a promising young player from Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, was hit in the neck while batting in the nets ahead of a T20 club fixture. Despite wearing a helmet, he was not using a neck guard. He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and placed on a ventilator, but succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.
{{/usCountry}}Ferntree Gully Cricket Club expressed heartbreak over the tragedy in a statement, saying, “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family – Jace, Tracey, Cooper and Zach – and to all of those who knew Ben and the joy that he brought.”
In a statement released by Cricket Victoria, Ben’s father, Jace Austin, said the family was “utterly devastated” by the loss. “For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends. This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he loved – playing cricket with his mates,” he said.
The family also extended compassion to the bowler involved in the accident, saying, “We would also like to support his teammate who was bowling in the nets – this accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with him and his family as well.”
Austin’s death has reignited calls within the cricket community to make neck guards mandatory at all levels of the game. The incident has evoked painful memories of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who died in 2014 after being struck on the neck during a domestic match in Sydney.